The present invention relates to a distribution system, and in particular to an automatic sales apparatus, for gases.
The invention relates to a distribution system, and in particular to a sales system like an automatic sales apparatus, for gases, especially for industrial gases and/or gases for energy supply or as energy carriers, for example propane gas.
A sales system of this general type is already known (DE 196 52 147). The problem for the invention is to improve such a system in terms of its usability.
In order to solve this problem a system has been developed according to the claims.
The invention is directed to a distribution system for gas in gas bottles with a reservoir for gas bottles from which the gas bottles can be removed with controlled access and/or to which the gas bottles can be preferentially returned with controlled access. In one aspect of the invention, outside the reservoir at least one filling station is provided to fill the gas bottles with the gas. In another aspect of the invention, the reservoir is designed to accommodate at least one means of transport for gas bottles and is provided with means to remove and/or insert gas bottles from off the means of transport. In yet another aspect of the invention, for controlled access to the reservoir and/or to the filling station, there is provided at least one sensor which interacts with a bottle identification on the bottle (2), for example, with a chip, a transponder, with a strip or colour coding on the bottle and/or an image recognition device.
The invention is further directed to a process for distributing gas, in which a distribution system automatically evaluates, based on certain parameters, how to provide gas to a customer. This is done by automatically evaluating if a new bottle is required, and taking one or several measures to refill the bottle returned by the customer, or to fill another bottle or provide one prefilled.
Further advantages, aspects and details of the present invention become evident from the dependent claims, the specification and the accompanying drawings.